Machine for forming track terminals



Mays, 1923i. 3,454,311

' T. O. CULPEPPER YMACHINE FOR FORMING TRACK TERMINALS Filed Ma'roh 18 1922 2 Sheets-sheet 1 May 8, 1923. v Llil l T. o. CULPEPPER MACHINE FOR FORMING TRACK TERMINALS Filed March 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1923.

'roY OWEN oULPnrPER, orfrocoon, GEORGIA.-

MACHINE FOR FORMING TRACK "EilRflv'IIN'ALS.l

Application mea March-1a, 1922. serial No. 544,937. l

To all whom t may concern: j

Be it known that I, Tor OWEN CUL- PEPPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at To-ccoa, in the county of Stephens and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Forming Track Terminals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to wire bending machinery, and particularly. to a machine for making track terminals, or as they are commonly called boot legs, Which are used to carry electricity to the rails to operate automatic signals on railroads.

The general object isto provide a `very simple, manually operable -mechanism of this character by which the relatively heavy copper Wire forming these track terminals may be readily bent, and particularly to provide a machine of this character Which will bend the Wire so as to provide an axially disposed, longitudinally extending 'portion having off-set ends, close coils` at the ends of the longitudinallyl extending portion, and angularly extending terminal portions.

A further object is to provide a machine by which a straight length of Wire may be initially bent into a yU-shapeand which will then, bya proper manipulation of the machine, bend the legs of the U-shaped member into coils disposed axially with reference to the cross bar of the U-shaped member.

. @ther objectsl will appear in thecourse of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Wherein:,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire bending machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, the guard being broken away;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof, the section being taken through the mandrel;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the track terminal after it is formed in'this machine. Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that my machine includes the longitudinally extending supporting bars 10 which form the base of the machine and which extend parallel to` each other and Which are connected at one end by a transverse `bolt 11 having nuts on its outer yends and spacing nuts 13.v The opposite ends of these bars 10 are connected by a trans verse bolt 14 of likercharacter. Any other suitable connecting means maybe used for holding these bars in parallel spaced rela-A ytion to each other. Adjacent one end these bars are each formed with a circularaperture 15 providing a bearing for a rotatable `man drel 16. Extending down from the upper edges of the bars 10 are downwardly .3

converging slots 17 which intersect the circular aperture and form throats through which the wireto be operated on maybe linsertedin the longitudinallyextending slot ,18 of the mandrel. This slot 18 extends to the center of the mandrel and the mandrel is circular in cross section and provided at one end Witha crank handle 19 whereby it maybe rotated. Inward of the bearing apertures 15 the bars 10 are each formed with.

an angular slot 2() having one leg extending downward and the other horizontally in a direction away from the slot 17. These angular slots 2O are sligthly curved. y Dis- .posed n these angular slots is a transversely-` extending rod 21 formed with'a head 22 at one end and havingan aperture fora cotter pin 23 at the other. This rod 21 is longer than the distancebetween the bars .10 and disposed upon ythe ends of the rod 21 which project beyond the bars are "the sleeves 24; Disposed inward ofthe bars 1() are the sleeves. 25 which are spaced from `each other to receive the fork 26l of a connecting rod 27 This rod carries at its outer ,j end aforked head 28 which embraces and is pivoted to a lever 29, this lever 29 .being` operatively pivoted for rocking movement uponthe bolt 14.

v The upper edges of the bars 1 0 are verf. ticallyslotted, as at 30, and .resting upon the upper edges of the bars between these nslots 30 and the lever 29 is a plate 31. This plate projects beyond the bars and the margin of the plate adjacent the lever 29 is slotted and bent downward, `as at 32, and held to the bars 10 by means of screws, `bolts or rivets 33.` This plate isi longitudinally slotted. as at 34. The plate on one side ris longitudinally slotted., as at 35, and at the` other side projects but slightly beyond the adjacent bars y10. The medial portion of the platefl projects 'toward' the mandrel 16as at 36. Bou-nding thisprojecting portion 36 of themplatel a Awall 37 which is approximately U-shaped in plan and is formed of a relatively wide strip of metal bent into U-shape so as to provide a transverse portion disposed in the slots 30 and side portions 38 which extend parallel to the bars 10 and which at their ends confronting the lever 29 are flared outward, as at 39. One of these side portions 38 extends into the slot and the other extends along the margin of the projecting portion 36 of the plate. This metal wall 37 is held in place by screws 40 or any other suitable means.

Slidingly mounted upon the upper face of the plate 31 is a relatively flat plunger 41 having a length equal to the distance between the side portions 38 of the wall 37 and having a pin or bolt 42 which extends through the slot 34 and is guided therein and prevents any lifting of this head or plunger 41. To the upper face of this plunger 41 is attached the rod 43 which, at its rear end, carries the bifurcated head 44 embracing and pivoted to the lever 29. It will be seen now that upon a forward movement ofthe lever 29 the plunger 41 will be forced into the form .constituted by the wall 37 and its wings 38 and that afwire disposed across the ends of these wings 38 will be bent into U-shape by the plunger.

Tn order to provide means for gauging the position of the stock from which the track terminal is to be formed. I preferably extend one end of the plate 31 outward, as at 45, and form at the end an upwardly extending flange 46 constituting a stop so that when one end of the length of wire is disposed against this top 46, the wire will be directly centered with relation to the axial center of the machine. The lever 29, as before stated, is mounted on the bolt 14 and has an eye 47 which surrounds this bolt. @n each side of the lever are disposed the washers 48 and on each side of the washers are the spacing sleeve 49, the lever thus being held in its medial position.

The stock used for forming track terminals is ordinary #6 steel copper-clad wire and these terminals are formed, as illustrated in Figure 5, with a transverse, axially disposed portion and the radially extending arms c. Tn orderl to form such a terminal upon the Vmachine which lfv have described, a piece of copper-clad wire of suitable length is laid upon the plate or table 31 with the middle of the wire coincident with the medial plane of the table and the ends of the wire extending beyond the ends 39 of the wings 38 and with one end abutting against stop 46. Then the lever 29 is forced forwardand the plunger 41 bends this wire into a U-shape, providing a cross bar a and two radially extending arms. The wire thus formed is removed from the table 31 and the cross bar is inserted in the slot 18 of the mandrel 16. The mandrel is then rotated until the arms of the U-shaped blank come in engagement with the projecting sleeves or rollers 24. Then the lever 29 is shifted to carry the bar 21 with its rollers 24 rearward and into the downwardly extending portions of the slots 20. This acts to bend t-he wire tightly against and around the mandrel. With the forming rollers 24 in this position, the mandrel may be then rotated to form the coils b which will closely embrace the mandrel. Preferably the forming rollers 24 are formed with spiral grooves, as illustrated in Figure 2, so as to guide the stock as it is being coiled and cause the convolutions of the coils to closely approach each other. 0f course, power may beused for rotating the mandrel if desired.

By providing the angular slots v20, the forming rollers are held against the pressure of the wire while the wire is being bent around the mandrel and no strength has to be exerted by the operator to hold lever 29 'thrown over. Vhen the coils have been completely formed, these coils usually embody five-turns. The rod 21 is retracted and with it the rollers 24 and then the mandrel is slipped longitudinally through the coils b and through the bars 10 and the completed terminal removed through the slots 17. Almost all terminals now used on railroadsare eight inches long, but ordinarily, and as designed by me, this machine will make terminals of six-inch length, thus giving two more inches protection in case of a broken rail near the joint. These terminals are bonded in the web of the rail as close to the joint as possible. It will be obvious that a' six-inch terminal can be put two inches closer to the joint than an eight-inch terminal, thus giving two inches more protection. Obviously machines may be made to form terminals of any length and the number of f' turns in each coil will depend upon the total length of the wire and the number of turns given to the mandrel.

The machine which I havev illustrated in llO the drawings is designed to be adjustable so as to make terminals of three lengths, sixinch, seven-inch and eight-inch. To this end, the bolts 14 are made sufiiciently long so that by adjusting the nuts 12 and 13 the bars 10 may be adjusted nearer to or further away from each other and the mandrel 16 is long enough to permit this adjustment and the rod 21 is sutliciently long to permit the rollers 24 to be adjusted outward or inward by the interposition of suitable sleeves `50 which may be used to properly position the rollers 24 by removing these sleeves 50, shifting the rollers outward, and replacing the sleeves 50 by other sleeves of a sho-rter j lll) `parts which any desired position in accordance with the `adjustment of the bars 10 upon the bolts 14.

erably formed in twoparts, each of which is attached to one of the bars 10, and three detachable plungers 41 are'designed to be 'used for each length of terminal. The plate 31 may also be made in three different sizes. Ofcourse, it is to be understood that the bars 10 will be disposed in a vise or mounted upon a work bench or otherwise supported. Of course, the lengths of the crank arm 19 and of the lever 29 will depend entirely upon the gauge of wire which it is in.- tended to use. v

Where track terminals have been made by hand by winding the wire by hand around a piece of pipe or other like mandrel, the cross bar between the coils is disposed in yline with'the periphery of the coils, but it will be obvious that with my machine 'the slot 18 in the mandrel permits the cross bar a to be disposed in the axial center of the coils which gives an improved form to these track terminals. i

` Vhile I have illustrated certain details of construction and cer'tain arrangement of fective for the vpurpose intended, yet I do not wish to be limited to these details, as it is obvious that many changes might be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention.

1., A machine for formingtrack terminals including manually operable means Jfor bending a length of wire into U-shape, a rotatable mandrel having a longitudinally eX- tending groove into which the cross bar of the U-shaped blank is adapted to be disposed, and forming rollers manually shiftable toward or from the mandrel.

v2. A machine of 'the character described including a supporting plate, a forming wall U.-shaped in plan and extending upward from said plate, a vplunger mounted upon the plate and movable into said Wall, the plunger having a length less than the width of the U-shaped wall, manually. operable means for. reciprocating said plunger, a rotatabley mandrel having a longitudinal slot to receive the cross bar of the U-shaped blank formedby the'plunger, and coil torming `rollers movable toward or from the mandrel and into engagement with the legs ot the U-shaped blanks disposed therein, the coil forming rollers being operatively connected to the plunger shifting means.

3. A machine of the character described including 'al supporting plate, a vforming wall U-shaped in plan andl extending upward from said plate, a plunger mounted upon the plate and movable into said wall,

4the plunger having a length less than the I have found thoroughly et` width of the Ufshaped w-all, manually operable means `for reciprocating said plunger, a rotatable mandrel having a longitudinal slot to receive the cross bar of the Usl,1aped kbla-'nk formed by the plunger, coil forming rollers vmovable toward or from the man,- drel and into engagement with the legs of theU-shaped blanks disposed therein, the coil l:forming rollers being operatively connected to the plunger shifting means, and` means for holding the rollers against-reverse movement when they have been forced toward the mandrel.`

4. A track terminal forming machine of the `character described comprising a support including two parallel, vertically disposed webs having aligned mandrel apertures and vertical slots extending from the upper edges of the webs and into said apertures, said webs on onev side of the apertures being formed with angular slots having vertically disposed legs adjacent the apertures, a mandrel removably disposed in theV apertures and having a longitudinally extending slot longer than the distancel between the webs, a, rod extending through said angular slots and projecting beyondthe. webs and having forming rolle-rs mounted upon the projecting ends thereof, means for rotating the mandrel, and means for shifting said forming rollers into the Jforward portions of the slots and toward the mandrel.

5. A track terminal forming machine of the character described comprising a support including two parallel, vertically ,disf posedv webs having aligned mandrel apertures and vertical slots extending from the upper edges of the webs and into said apertures, said webs on one-side of theapertures being formed with angular slots having vertically disposed legs adjacent the apertures', a mandrel removably disposed in the apertures and having a longitudinally extending' slot longer than the distance between the webs, a rod extending through saidangular slots and projecting beyond the webs' land havingy forming rollers mounted upon. the projectingends thereof, means for rotating the mandrel, and means for shifting said lforming rollers into the forward portions of the slots and toward the mandrel including a lever pivoted to said base.

6. A track terminal forming machine of the character described comprising a support includingtwo parallel, vertically disposed webs having aligned mandrel apertures and vertical slots extending from the upper edges-of the Webs and into said apertures, said webs on one side'of the apertures being` formed with angular slots having vertically disposed legs adjacent the apertures, a mandrel removably disposed in the apertures and having a longitudinally extending v slot longery than the distance between the webs, a-v rod extending through said angu# 1 lar slots and projecting beyond the webs and having` forming rollers mounted upon the projecting ends thereof, means for rotating the mandrel, means for shifting said forming rollers into the forward portions of the slots and toward the mandrel, a supporting plate mounted upon, said webs and bounded at one end by a wall U-shaped in plan and havinglaterally disposed wings, the distance between said wings being greater than the distance between the webs, a plunger operating on said plate and into the space between the wings and having a 'length less than the distance between the wings, a lever operatively connected to the rod carrying the forming rollers `whereby the rod may begshifted into the forward portions of the angular slots, and a connecting rod between the plunger and the lever.

7. A track terminal forming machine of the character described comprising a support including two parallel, vertically disposed webs having aligned mandrel apertures and vertical slots extending from the upper edges of the webs and into said apertures, said webs on one side of the apertures being formed with angular slots having vertically disposed legs adjacent the apertures, a mandrel removably disposed in the apertures and having a longitudinally extending slot longer than the distance between the webs, a rod extending' through said angular slots and projecting beyond the webs and having forming yrollers mounted upon the projecting ends thereof, means for rotating the mandrel, means for shifting said forming rollers into the forward portions of the slots and toward the mandrel, a supporting plate mounted upon said webs and bounded at one end by a wall U-shaped in plan and having laterally vdisposed wings, the distance between said wings being greater than the distance between the webs, a plunger operating on said plate and into the space between thel wings and having a length less than the dist-ance between the wings, a lever operatively connected to the rod carrying the formino' rollers whereby the rod may beshifted into the forward portions of the angular slots, and a connecting rod between the plunger and the lever, said pl-ate having a portion extending upward andl over the body of the plate to form a guard.

8. Means for forming coils on the ends of a U-shaped wire blank comprising parallel webs having oppositely disposed, circular bearing apertures, slots extending from the edgesy of said webs into the bearing apertures, the webs being` formed with angular slots adjacent to the bearing apertures, each of the angular slots having a downwardly directed portion terminating adjacent the bearing aperture, a mandrel disposed in the bearing apertures and having a longitudinal drel.

9. Means for forming coils in the ends of a U-shaped wire blank comprising parallel supports adjustable toward or from each other and having oppositely disposed circular bearing apertures, slots extending from the edges of said webs into the bearing apertures, the webs being formed with angular slots adjacent the bearing apertures,

a mandrel disposed in the bearing apertures and having a vertical slot extending beyond the webs when the bearing mandrel is in place, said mandrel being relatively long to permit the adjustment of the bars toward or from each other, a relatively long rod extending transversely across the websand through the angular slot therein and projecting beyond the webs, adjustable forming rollers mounted upon the rod, removable spacing members mounted upon the rod and h olding the forming rollers in adjusted positions, said forming rollers being formed` with spiral grooves upontheir faces, and manually operable means for shifting the rod forward into the forwardly and downwardly extending portions of the angular slots to bring the rollers adjacent the mancomprising two parallel supporting members adjustable toward or from each other and having aligned mandrel apertures and vertical slots extending from the upper edges into said apertures, said supporting members on one side of the apertures being formed with angular slots, a relatively long mandrel removably disposed in the apertures and having a longitudinally extending slot, a rod extending through the angular slots and projecting beyond said supporting members and having forming rollers detachably mounted upon the projecting ends thereof, means for adjusting said forming rollers toward or from each other, means for rotating the mandrel, means for shifting the forming rollers into the forward portions of the angular slots toward the mandrel, a supporting plate mounted upon said supporting members, a U-shaped wall having laterally disposed wings bounding the forward edge of said plate and being formed in two sections adjustable towa'rd or from each other, a plunger operating onsaid plate and into the spaces between the wings, means whereby the rod carrying the forming rollers may be shifted into the forward portions of the angular slots, and means for forcing the plunger into the space between the wings of the U-shaped wall.

1l. A machine for forming track terminals including a rotatable mandrel having a longitudinally extending groove into which the Cross bar of a U-shaped blank is adapted to be disposed, forming rollers manually shiftable toward or from the mandrel, and means independent of the manually shiftable means for holding the forming rollers into operative relation with the mandrel and against the strain to which they are subjected.

l2. A machine for forming track terminals including a rotatable mandrel having a longitudinally extending groove into which the cross bar of aU-shaped blank is adapted to be disposed, vforming rollers manually shiftable toward or from the mandrel, and members through which lsaid forming rollers extend and by which they are supported having slots in which the lrollers operate, said slots beingv substantiallyl angular and having the portions adjacent the mandrel extending approximately at right angles to the plane of movement of the florning rollers toward and fromthe manre. A

In testimony whereof signature.

Tor owEN CULPEPPER.

I hereunto aiix my 

